|
From
Marrakech to the Nile
The Sahara Edition
Explore
the two gems of North Africa--Morocco and Egypt--and spend couple of
nights in the Moroccan Sahara, on this 14-day, tour to
Casablanca, Marrakech, Cairo and Luxor. A bonus: journeys by train across
the Moroccan countryside, and up the Nile!
Weekly , year round
compare
with the 10 day , 14
day edition including the Moroccan Sahara
. Add Istanbul ,
or Jordan and
Petra . Compare with the 14
day including a Nile Cruise. cruise THE NILE in
the comfort of your own PRIVATE boat The
Royal Cleopatra
. Compare
with the 1001 Arabian Nights Tour of Egypt & Jordan a la Indiana Jones
in 17 days Add
Syria and Jordan
. Add
Tunisia in a 21-Day edition .
Compare with
the Dahabiya Yacht Nile Cruise edition.
DAY 1 - OFF TO MOROCCO! - Friday
Weekly departure on Fridays. Board a comfortable Royal Air Maroc ,Air
France, British Airways jet at New York's John F. Kennedy International
Airport for your flight to Casablanca.
Day
2 - CASABLANCA & MARRAKECH Saturday(D)
Our international flight arrives in Casablanca. After completing customs
and immigration formalities, we connect with our domestic flight which
takes us south to mystical Marrakech. Our staff escorts us to our hotel,
where we enjoy a Moroccan-style welcome dinner.
DAY
3 - MARRAKECH Sunday (BLD)
We board a horse-drawn carriage for a clip-clop tour of this ancient
royal capital, including the Kotoubia, a former royal palace,
and of course the labyrinthine souks (bazaars).
Day
4 - MARRAKECH - Home Hosted Dinner Monday (BD)
Now that you've got your bearings, today is yours to explore the city
on your own. If you prefer, join one of our optional tours (for an additional
fee): one takes you to a nearby Berber village, another takes you into
the souks for a shopping spree.
This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors
ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Marrakech
! You'll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome
home-cooked specialties, you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook,
aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as
you may be about your new friends, they're sure to have questions about
your own background. Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening,
and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course,
you may enjoy dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions,
by letting us know your preferences.
DAY
5 - OURZAZATE Tuesday (BD)
Morning at leisure.
Early afternoon departure to Ouarzazate crossing the Atlas Mountains
and its striking scenery through the Tizi N'Tichka Pass at an  altitude
of more than 2000 meters Before reaching Ouarzazate, visit of the Ait
Ben Haddou Kasbah, a wonderful site now protected by UNESCO, having
served as natural decor to numerous films shooting. It is an area of
crumbling Kasbahs grouped among patches of wheat fields, terraced orchards,
olives and date palms. It ascends a small mountain and is surmounted
by an « Agadir » (grain storage tower) giving it an epic scale. Dinner
at hotel.
DAY
6 - OUARZAZATE / TODRA GORGE / ERFOUD / MERZOUGA Wednesday (BLD)
From Ouarzazate explore the wonderful Road of 1000 Kasbahs in the direction
of Boumalne du Dades through Skoura and El Kelaa Des Mgouna . Upon arrival
in Boumalne we'll drive by impressive Ksours (fortified villages) and
fabulous rock formations and fantastic geological landscape. Continue
on the Road of 1000 Kasbahs towards Tinerghir, a former military outpost
built on terraces above a magnificent palm grove and the way into the
awesome Todra Gorge. The Todra Gorge is a massive fault in the plateau
dividing the High Atlas from the Jebel Sarho with a crystal-clear river
running through it. Lunch is included at the "End of the Earth," in
the awesome gorge, between 300 meter cliffs. Then on to Erfoud crossing
impressive palm groves and oases. On arrival in Erfoud you will then
take chauffeured four-wheel-drive vehicle (Turbo Land Rover) to go to
Merzouga, There will be a bonfire and an entertainment by the
locals during the evening. Dinner and overnight in a Bedouin tent
in the Sahara, offering a magical sight of the sunset over the majestic
dunes.
DAY
7 - MERZOUGA / ERFOUD / MIDELT / FEZ Thursday (BLD)
After breakfast we drive back (private 4 X 4) to Erfoud , where we pick
up a private sedan or air-conditioned motorcoach. And on to FEZ You'll
head north via Errachidia and Talghimt pass. Lunch is included at the
foot of Djebel Ayachi in Midelt at Kasbah Asmaa. Continue through the
Middle Atlas Mountains in the direction of Fez. Late afternoon arrival
in Fez for dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel. The
city is yours to explore, guidebook in hand. The Lonely Planet guide
includes all the important things to see, and recommendations for restaurants
in all price ranges, so you'll never be at a loss for advice.
DAY
8 - FEZ Friday (B)
Oldest of Morocco's four Imperial Cities, Fez is endlessly fascinating,
and today it's yours. You may wish to tour ( on your own ) : Top sights
include the medina (old city), the 15-century Borj Nord Arms
Museum, the gateway of the royal palace, the fortifications
of the Kasbah, the 9th-century Karaouine Mosque and University,
the medersas (theological seminaries) of Bou Inania and Attarine,
the shrine of the city's founder Moulay Idris II, the Nejjarine
Fountain, the monumental gateway of Bab Boujelloud, the old
harem gardens, Dar Batha Museum, and the artisans'
guilds in the souks.
Day
9 - BY TRAIN TO CASABLANCA Saturday (BLD)
"Getting there is half the fun!" We board the train for our return to
Casablanca, cruising through the lovely countryside past green
fields, fruit-laden orchards, traditional villages and modern towns,
with the lofty Atlas Mountains soaring in the distance. Our tour
escort points out interesting features, and fills us in on Moroccan
life and culture. After arriving in Casablanca, we visit the majestic
new Grand Mosque of King Hassan II, second only to the Great
Mosque at Mecca in size. We continue on a panoramic tour of the city
and its souks. After dinner, we drive to the airport for our Royal Air
Maroc night flight across North Africa to Egypt.
Day
10 - CAIRO Sunday (aBD)
We arrive in Cairo with the dawn,Complimentary
visa issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport, valid only for American,
Australian, NZ, Western Europeans& Japanese citizens. Passports
must be valid for 6 month at least at time of arrival.
We
drive through the awakening city to our hotel for breakfast and a bracing
cup of coffee or tea. Refreshed, we visit the Citadel of Saladin
and its Alabaster Mosque, enjoying spectacular views of the city below.
We descend from the Citadel into Khan el-Khalili, the bazaar
district, in search of Egyptian treasures. The rest of the day is yours:
find a little local restaurant for lunch, go museum-hopping, take a
nap, or stroll along the Nile, as you like. Dinner at the hotel.
DAY
11 - CAIRO Monday (aBLD)
Today we visit Cairo's most famous monuments: the awesome pyramids of
Giza, the Valley Temple and the timeless Sphinx.
After lunch we drive to Dahshour, the newly opened pyramid field
south of Cairo, where we visit several ancient structures, including
the great pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. In the evening,
we board our first-class sleeper train for the journey to Luxor.
Dinner is served in our private compartments as we speed southward along
the banks of the Nile.
DAY
12 - LUXOR Tuesday (aBLD)
We leave our train for breakfast in a luxury hotel, after which we cross
the Nile to visit the Valley of the Kings and the Colossi
of Memnon. After lunch in Luxor, we tour the stupendous Great
Temple of Amon at Karnak, and visit the Sacred Lake and red
granite quarry with its huge unfinished obelisk. We take a quick look
at the great temple of Amon Ra at Luxor on our way to the airport
for our flight back to Cairo. In the evening, we enjoy dinner and a
folk show .
DAY
13 - CAIRO Wednesday (aBL)
The world-famous Egyptian Museum, which holds the treasures of
Tutankhamon, is our first stop today, after which we wander the narrow
streets of Old Cairo (once a Roman fort). We go on to the Jewish
Quarter, then the Coptic Christian Quarter, stopping at the
churches of Abu Serghius and Al Molaka, the Coptic Museum, and the Ben
Ezra synagogue. After lunch at a typical local restaurant, the afternoon
is yours to enjoy as you like. You may explore Cairo, guidebook in hand,
or accompany us on one of our optional tours (at additional cost).
Day
14 - DEPARTURE Thursday (aB)
After breakfast, our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight
to Casablanca, and on to New York.
This
tour departs from the USA weekly, year round.
RATES per
person in USD
|
Deluxe |
First
Class |
| Triple |
US$
5610 |
US$
4840 |
| Double |
US$
5758 |
US$
5080 |
| Single |
US$
6710 |
US$
6370 |
For
Dec 20-Jan 5 & Easter ( 2 Weeks Season) : Please add 10 % Supplement
Your
tour includes:
- Round-trip
international airfare from New York City (JFK) to Casablanca and Cairo
, including tax (Please contact us for add-on fares from your nearest
airport to New York).
Air fare note : May - Sep : please add $300 high season supplement
( this doesn't apply when yo handle your own air fare) Click
here for a 10 day edition WITHOUT air fare from/to USA.
For most west coast cities : Please add $350 for the airfare add on
( this docent apply when you handle your own air fare ). Please deduct
$500 when you handle your own air fare from / to JFK
For Miami, Houston, Chicago, Dallas, D.C.: Please add :$250 for the
airfare add on ( this docent apply when you handle your own air fare
).
-
Domestic airfares Casablanca-Marrakech and Luxor-Cairo, including
tax
-
First-class day train Marrakech-Casablanca and sleeper train Cairo-Luxor,
including tax and service
- All
airport and train station transfers in Morocco and Egypt as described
in the tour itinerary
-
Your hotel room at a carefully-selected deluxe, first class or tourist
class hotel, whichever you prefer, including tax & service
- B
= Breakfast, (or aB, American Buffet Breakfast),
L = Lunch, D = Dinner
and all Egyptian airport taxes.And a home hosted dinner in Marrakech
- Guided
sightseeing as listed in the itinerary including all entrance fees.
- EU,
Canadian,Australian, NZ US and Japanese passport holders need a visa
to enter Egypt. You will obtain a visa at the airport upon arrival
in Cairo With our compliments, as long as your passport is valid for
at least 6 month . Visas are not required for the listed nationalities
for entry into Morocco.
- VERY
IMPORTANT NOTE ON LUGGAGE: When flying from JFK on Royal Air Maroc
all the way , then 2 pieces of luggage are allowed to be checked.
For West cost customers, who may fly British Airways into Casablanca,
they will be allowed one piece of luggage to be checked in on board
the ROYAL AIR MAROC flight between Casablanca & Cairo.
-
-
Click
for 19
day version with a Nile Cruise
and couple of nights at a deluxe camp in the Moroccan sahara
.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Trip
interruption and cancellation insurance (please see the insurance
brochure/ we'll be glad to mail to you) .
- Personal
expenses, including excess baggage or shipping charges, beverages,
and personal charges in hotels for laundry, telephone, or other
services
- Gratuities
- Optional
Excursion
|
